Collapsible pallet box



Aug. 27, 1968 c. K. EASTWOOD COLLAPSIBLE PALLET BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 11, 1966 FIG-3 FIG ' lOu/ INVENTOR.

D o o W T s A E K Y E R A c ATTORNEYS g- 27, 1968 c. K. EASTWOOD3,398,849

COLLAPS IBLE PALLET BOX Filed July 1 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GAREY K.EASTWOOD INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,398,849 COLLAPSIBLE PALLET BOX Carey K.Eastwood, Box 812,

Waterville, Wash. 98858 Filed July 11, 1966, Ser. No. 564,098 3 Claims.(Cl. 217-15) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE the bottom corners of the box.

The present invention relates to a collapsible pallet box of the typehaving fold-down side and end walls arranged when collapsed to lay withthe side walls flat against the bottom of the box and the end walls ontop of the side walls.

The invention aims to provide such a pallet box which has smoothuninterrupted inside faces with all bracing on the outside, is sturdyand durable when expanded, and is relatively ligth in weight.

Other objects are to provide such a pallet box which nests when stackedeither in folded or expanded condition, is ventilated for cooling anddrainage, and in which warping and weathering are minimized while thebox is stored in collapsed position.

Other more particular objects and advantages of the invention will, withthe foregoing, appear and be understood in the course of the followingdescription and claims, the invention consisting in the novelconstruction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pallet box embodying the presentinvention, and illustrated with one of the sides folded down;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of an upper corner of the box as indicated bythe circled area 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken alongthe line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken alongthe line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken as indicated byline 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken as indicated byline 66 of FIG. 5, but with one of the side walls folded down;

FIG. 7 is a perspective detail view of one of the upper corners of aside panel of the box;

FIG. 8 is a perspective detail view of one of the lower corners of anend panel of the box; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the box in collapsed position.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that the floor, longitudinal sidewalls, and end walls of the pallet box are numbered 10, 11-11, and 1212,respectively, and may be formed of plywood with the side and end wallsbeing reinforced by face strips 13 and 14, respectively, at theirvertical ends. The floor has marginal cutouts 10a for ventilation anddrainage and is mounted on corner blocks 15 which carry a pair oflongitudinal skids 16 braced at the center by intermediate blocks 17.Angle brackets 18 are screw-mounted to the corner blocks 15 and projectupwardly above the floor level to limit outward movement of the side andend panels of the box when they are erected.

The brackets 18 also carry the outer end portions of 3,398,849 PatentedAug. 27, 1968 sets of pivot pins 21-22 for the pairs of panels 11-12 inan arrangement whereby the end panels 12 fold down over the side panels11 after the latter are collapsed. To this end the brackets 18 havesloped slots 21a and 22a for passage of the pins 21-22, and the endpanels and strips 12 have cutouts 19 at the lower corners for passage ofthe pins 21. Lag screws may be used for the pins 21-22 and may bescrewed to center along the seams between the panels 11-12 and therespective face strips 13-14 as illustrated.

At their upper corners the end panels12 have angle brackets 23 with oneflange 23a screw-mounted to the face strips 14 and the other flange 23bextending beyond the planes of the inside faces of the end panels to lapover an upper part of the face strips 14 of the side panels when the boxis erected. It will be noted that each flange 23b has its longitudinaledge portion turned back to form a lip 23c parallel to the flange 23a.For receiving each lip 23c the respective face strip 13 has a verticalslot 24. It is preferred that the flanges 23a-23b of the upper cornerangles project above the top of the box as shown so that the boxes willvertically nest. Accordingly, the lips 230 are shortened so that theywill terminate at the upper ends of the strips 13 and not interfere withthe nesting.

It will be noted that the side panels 11 are shorter in length than thefloor 10 by twice the sum of the thickness of an end panel 12 and facestrip 14 so that the side panels can be folded down between the endpanels when erect. In order that the side panels 11 will not overlapwhen collapsed, the box has a maximum height above the floor levelcorresponding to one-half the width of the floor panel 10.

During down-folding of the side panels 11 their pivot pins 21 ride fromthe lower ends of the slots 21a to the upper end thereof to givesufficient relief for the lower outside edges 13b to swing and clear therelated flanges 18b of the corner brackets 18 and for the lower insideedges 11a of the panels 11 to swing outwardly over the floor. Then asthe down-folding of the side panels 11 is completed the pins 21 slideback down toward the lower ends of the slots 21a. Although notpreferred, as an alternative to the slots 21a the edges 13b of thestrips 13 and the inside edges 11a of the side panels could be roundedto bullnoses so that the pins 21 could swing about fixed axes defined byround holes located in conformance with the lower end portions of theslots 21a.

When the end panels 12 are erect their pivot pins 22 occupy the lowerends of the slots 22a. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower end of each strip14 on the end panels is formed with a bullnose 14a, and the outerlongitudinal edges 13a of the strips 13 are beveled so that the endpanels are free to be folded down after the side panels 11 have beenfolded in flat against the floor 10. During this down-folding of the endpanels the pins 22 slide upwardly to the upper ends of the slots 22a tooccupy positions which are the same horizontal distance from therespective corner flange 18a as the vertical distance to the floor 10from the positions occupied by the pins at the lower ends of the slotswhen the end walls are erect. The lips 230 on the upper bracket 23 arepreferably spaced from the flanges 23a a distance corresponding to thethickness of the strips 13 so that when the end panels are fullycollapsed, the lips 23c will rest flat against the underlying sidepanels 11 and the end panels 12 will rest flat against the strips 13.

When the pallet box is collapsed the lower corner brackets 18 projectabove the level of the strips 13 on the folded side panels. Thisarrangement permits a stack of the collapsed pallet boxes to be nested,each with its skids 16 seated on the strips 13 of the subjacent *box andconfined by the-upwardly protecting-portion of the brackets 18 of thesubjacent box.

To erect the collapsed box of the present invention .it isiohlyinecessary to swing up the end panels 12 by gripping their upper, edgeswhich are spacedfrom the underlying-side panels-11, andtothen swingup'the side p'anels betweenthe-erect end panels until the slots in theupper ends of .the strips interfit with the lips 2300f the upper cornerbrackets 23. When'the end and side panels-.areerect-their lowerendsare'confined by the 'lowercornerbrackets-'18,-the upper" ends of theside panels 11 are confined by the flanges 23a of the upper cornerbrackets 23, and the upper ends of the end panels '-12-:areconfined:by'theinterfit of lips 23c-with the slots 24. As before mentioned; theboxes in erected state can be nestedaone on another within the confinesof the upwardly-projecting portions of the upper corner brackets 23.1'j- 1. lt'is belie'ved that theinventionwill have been clearlyunderstoodfrom the foregoing detailed description of my; now-preferredillustrated embodiment. Changes in thedetails of construction may beresorted 'to without departing from the spirit of the invention and itis accordingly my intention that no limitations be implied and that thehereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which theemployed language fairly admits.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible box comprising, a generally rectangular bottom'panel, apair of opposed fold-down end panels, a pair of opposed fold-down sidepanels located between said end panels-when the latter are upright,respective upwardly projecting anglebrackets anchored at the corners ofsaid bottom panel and each having two vertically sloping slots in planesat substantially right angles to'one another'thereby forming-two setsoislots with the slots in each set being parallel to one another, firstpivotal connection means between said angle brackets and said sidepanels received in one of said sets whereby the side panels are foldableinwardly from an upright position between said end panels to a'collapsedhorizontal position resting on saidbottoin panel, and second pivotalconnection inea'n's" between" said angle brackets and said end panelsreceived in the J other of said sets and upwardly movable a limiteddistance relative to said bottom panel whereby-- said end panels arethen foldable inwardly from an upright position whereat their loweredges are at the upper level ofsaid bottom panel to a collapsedhorizontal 1 position Whereat .said lower edges are raised above saidupper level and-said end panels reston said collapsed side panels. 1 4

2. A collapsible box' according to claim. 1 in which the set of slotsfor said second pivotal connection means extends to an elevationhig-herthan the set of slots for said first pivotal connection means."3. A collapsible box according to claim 1 in which the'outer loweredges of said end panels andthe outer vertical side'ed'ges of said sidepanels arebeveled."

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 997, 739 7/1911 Biro 217-152,579,655 12/1951 Donald 220 6 FOREIGN PATENTS I 1 1,068,923 2/1954,'France,

215,886 6/1961 Austriaj 1,282,830 12/1961 France' RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ,Primary Examiner.

